Bucky Meadows

Fastest Fingers in the West


You could write a long and interesting book about Bucky’s life and the gifted people he knew and played music with. He went on the road with Les Paul and Mary Ford when he was 13 years old. He was the poster boy for Gibson Guitars and billed as a child prodigy on the guitar.

Les came to Pedernales Studios to record with Willie in about 1988. We got to spend a couple of days listening to Bucky and Les Paul reminisces about Mary Ford and the road. Bucky played with Les Paul and Mary Ford, George Jones, Hank Thompson, Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins, Willie Nelson, Ray Benson and many more.

Bucky had musical spontaneity. He never did anything the same way twice but he did everything pretty all the time. So, he was a musician’s musician and a studio technicians dream. He played everything from country music to cold jazz with mind-boggling mixes of everything in-between.

Bucky at Pedernales Studios

Bucky took the last tour bus to heaven on June 18, 1998. Like most of the great studio musicians Bucky died broke and unrecognized for the part he played in the star-maker machinery. He was a beautiful human being and lucky to have a friend like Willie that knew him and loved him for who he was.

A studio musician’s recognition comes after their gifts have survived the test of time. People with sensitive ears seek them out after their death. They will seek Bucky’s name out in the small and faded print on the obscure discs that hold his music. They will ask: Who was this person that God chose to do the Master Tracs. For us, Bucky Meadows earned his place in the Musicians Hall Of Fame located in our hearts well before his untimely death.

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